


Through the Trees

by bohemu



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Blood and Gore, Explicit Language, Genderswap, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Other, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-12 04:59:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4466312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bohemu/pseuds/bohemu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis is dating Harry but her best friend Zayn could use some help.</p><p>A Jennifer's Body AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Through the Trees

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zouis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zouis/gifts).



> I really hope you enjoy this! I tried to stay close to your prompt. So much so that Jay is a single mom but still uses the name Tomlinson and Louis' name is Louse because that was the closest thing to Louis' version of "Needy" I could come up with. /o\
> 
> Thank you to my betas narrypear, nightwideopen, and heyitzjasmine for your work with such a quick turn around! All remaining errors are mine.

"Harry, without a doubt, you are the clumsiest person I know," Louse says, stepping back from the disaster area. Harry gasps and dashes off to go find a napkin. Zayn stands laughing at Louse’s ruined homecoming dress. "I dunno what you’re on about, Z, I’ve still got the cup in me hands."

"I’m not laughing at you, mate, I’m laughing at that one," Zayn says, gesturing after Harry, greasy hair flopping around her shoulders as she maneuvers through the crowds to the bathrooms. "What do you even see in her?"

"Seen her mouth, yeah? That’s all you need to know."

Zayn scrunches her nose and giggles again. "You’re disgusting."

Harry returns with a napkin and Louse pulls Harry’s hand with the napkin to her stomach. "And you’ve been my friend for how long? Exactly." Louse looks down at the napkin soaking up the juice from her dress. Her dress appears to be water-phobic, the juice didn't do much damage. "Thanks, love," Louse says finally, at Harry, who grins, her green eyes sparkling.

"Sorry, again, I thought I was smoother than that," Harry huffs, her nostrils flaring in embarrassment.

"You’re never smooth, like," Zayn snorts behind her, breaking their concentration. Harry frowns as Zayn pushes past her to tuck a curl of hair behind Louse’s ear and pushes Harry’s hand away from Louse’s stomach. 

Louse grabs Zayn’s hand in hers and lets the napkin drop to the floor. Whatever is left of the stain her mom will be able to get out later. Louse kicks the napkin to the side and steps into Zayn’s arms just as a slow dance starts. Harry deposits the napkin in the bin, before taking a seat in the bleachers to watch them dance the last dance.

Louse grins wide at Harry and makes a show of pressing herself down into Zayn’s chest. Zayn’s only an inch taller than Louse, even in heels, so Louse has to arch her back to make contact with Zayn’s breasts. Zayn shakes her head but allows it, as she leads the two of them in the dance. They don’t talk about how much better of a dancer Zayn is since Louse took the lanky beauty under her drama geek wings and showed her the basics. Harry points out when Zayn makes a mistake just to rile her up.

"Right, well, I don’t see you getting up to dance with your girlfriend. I could do much better than Louse, you know. The ‘Mo was eyeing me earlier at the raffle line." Zayn’s voice booms under Louse’s ear.

Harry waves away the insult. "I would dance, but I was on timeout after ruining her dress."

"No one told you to sit down. Zayn was just quicker to my hand," Louse says into Zayn’s armpit. Harry frowns, confused, so Zayn repeats Louse's words louder. Harry stands up and smiles, fixing her skirt as she does.

"Well in that case, move over," Harry says, tugging Louse away from Zayn.

"Wow, and you just give me up like that? I thought I meant something to you!" Louse shouts dramatically. Harry giggles into Louse' arms, and Zayn crowds behind Louse. She fixes her gaze on Harry as she does.

"I would never. I’m going to fight this one till the death," Zayn says, and Harry blinks at the intense eye contact.

Louse purrs, squashed between Harry and Zayn. They look a sight, and Louse is certain a teacher will come over to admonish them for dancing like this. 

Zayn and Louse have been friends since they were in middle school, and Louse needed to pass Singing 100. Even before Louse realized she was bisexual, she was in love with Zayn’s singing voice. She fought her crush away to save her grades and ended up with a friendship thicker than blood. In quiet moments like this Louse always thinks of how lucky she is that Zayn picked her to tutor. Little Louis with the sharp, pitchy voice.

The music cuts off and the crowd murmurs and disperses. Harry and Zayn let go of Louse, who takes the opportunity to fix her hair. 

"Right then, this DJ sucks, should we uh, make our way elsewhere?" Louse says, a smirk crawling across her lips. Harry bends over and shakes her hair into tousled waves and narrowly avoiding Zayn when she rights herself again. Zayn scowls but Harry hooks her arm with Louse's and escorts her out into the school parking lot.

The night is cool and the breeze hits Louse as soon as her heel hits the pavement. "Oh my god," her voice echoes into the night. Harry giggles and tries to shush her, but Louse pushes Harry away. "This breeze, come to me!" Louse ducks her head under her arm and sniffs. "Wow, this deodorant holds up. Zayn, come here, sniff this," Louse says, doubling back to where Zayn has draped herself on the door, leaving it open for their other classmates. Zayn pulls her head away from Louse.

"No, Louse. I’m not smelling your pits! Why are you so weird?" 

One of the blondes on the soccer team swishes up next to Zayn in a silvery dress and smiles at her to let go of the door. Zayn lets the jock take over and pushes past Harry and Louse to Harry’s car. "You’re driving us, yeah, Haz?"

Harry digs into her purse and pulls out her keys, glancing back at Louse, doing a full run at Zayn. "Yeah, uh. Louse gets shotgun, though."

"Move it, Marie Claire!" Louse says, using her full body to check Zayn into the bed of the truck parked next to Harry’s, before climbing into the front seat. Harry laughs, but lends Zayn a hand getting out of the truck and dusting off her dress.

"Marie Claire? I would at least be like, Nylon? Like, something cool, yeah," Zayn says, checking her makeup in the side-view mirror. She hesistates at the back door. "You’ve cleaned this since you guys last… you know, right?"

Louse pulls the window shade down and stares at Zayn from the mirror. "Zayn, when two girls love each other very much, it’s a lot cleaner than when heteros love each other."

"You’re not even properly gay, Louse."

Louse nods and mocks a sob. "But my love for Harry is," she says, clasping Harry’s hand to her chest. Harry humors Louse but then pulls away to buckle Louse and herself into their seats. "Tonight was beautiful, wasn’t it?"

"It’d be better if I had a date," Zayn says, closing the car door and buckling herself in before slouching down against the window.

Louse smacks the headrest of her seat. "If you get makeup on the window, Harry is going to be livid, Zayn."

"I’m not. There’s still smudges on the middle console from… this one," Harry blushes before turning the car on. The small engine rumbles alive and Zayn lets her face slide halfway down the mirror as they pull out of the space and off to Louse’s house.

***

Louse opens the back door and Zayn has to react quickly before her face meets the asphalt.

"Nice reflexes!" Louse compliments as she stumbles out of her shoes and pads up her stoop barefoot.

Harry picks up Louse’s discarded shoes in the road and checks to see that Zayn is okay. "You can at least hold the door open for the rest of us," Harry complains, as she and Zayn hobble up the stairs in their own heels.

Louse shreds her outfit a piece at a time once she’s in her bedroom. "Jesus, it is so good to breathe again!"

Zayn collapses on the sofa in the corner while Harry slinks her way up the small bed to cuddle among the various stuffed animals. "Zayn, which is your favorite? I like Mr. Hearts N Fluff here."

"Name’s not Hearts N Fluff, love, it’s Pink Murder," Louse corrects from where she’s depositing her jewelry in a case above her dresser. "Also no getting into my bed without a shower!" Louse reprimands, tossing her bra at Harry. "You know these rules!"

Harry resurfaces from layers of stuffed animals. "I know that I’m also not allowed in your house when the parentals aren’t home."

Louse rolls her eyes. "Mum’s somewhere in the house. She gets in at like, half 10. And it’s fine as long as there are other girls, innit."

"Cheers," Zayn says from the sofa. "How’s that work? Like, what if we just had a full on orgy? How’s one extra girl stopping your snogging sessions?"

Harry giggles. "I asked that once, too, but Jay just said she knows. She’s a scary woman."

"Jay Tomlinson, scary?" Zayn quizzes, pushing herself up into a sitting position. "Nah, mate, I think that’s just girlfriend guilt, that."

Louse raises her hand. "I know! I said the same thing. Me mum’s softer than tissue, yeah? But Harry’s proper scared of her."

"I’ve not been your friend that long, but still like, I’m not quaking in my boots around your mum, yeah?"

Harry pulls off her dress and chucks it at Zayn. "Don’t believe me, then. I’ve got to wee. D’you have a spare top?" Louse pulls a ratty band shirt out of a pile of clothes on the floor and flings it at Harry, who catches it immediately. "Right, be back in a few."

Harry bumps into Louse’s little sister in the hall, maneuvering around her and dashing into the bathroom.

Lottie watches her go and then stands in Louse’s doorway. "You’re not allowed to have her here when mum’s not up," she warns.

Louse scoffs and points over at the sofa. "Zayn’s here as well. Proper sleepover."

Lottie pokes at the dress and Zayn mumbles underneath it. "Hi, Lottie." It takes all of Lottie’s weight to yank the satin monstrosity off of Zayn and onto Louse’s bed.

"Hi Zayn." Lottie studies her. Zayn's legs jut out across Louse’s bed and her head rests awkwardly on the arm of the wicker couch. Her mascara is smeared and her lipstick has faded from her last application, but she’s still startlingly beautiful. Harry is a fun girl to have around, but Zayn is an undisputed classic beauty. "You lesbians are mad," Lottie concludes. "If I were a lesbian, I’d be dating this one, not that bug-eyed one."

Louse slams a dresser drawer closed. "Oi! That’s my girl you’re talking about!" she says as she spins on Lottie. The pre-teen doesn’t even flinch. "Why are you even in here, anyway? Do you have something to say? Or did you have a bad dream?" Louse checks the clock above her computer monitor and gestures at it. "It’s way past your bedtime."

"It’s past your curfew, too, innit," Lottie says without hesitation. They glare at each other, ice blue eyes bearing into each other.

Zayn bursts into a giggle fit and sits up. "Sorry, but that one was top."

Louse switches to a softer tone. "Lottie, please, go back to your room. I’ll talk to mum in the morning, alright? Wait, where’s Fizzy? Weren’t she supposed to be taking care of you?"

"Asleep. The twins were crying so I was with them." A grin spreads across Lottie’s face but the flash in her eyes is devilish.

Louse nods in defeat. "Fine, I see. You’re a better sister than I am, great for you, now get along." Louse shoos Lottie out of the room and into a refreshed Harry, wearing Louse’s house clothes. "Oh, look, Harry’s done. Now there’s definitely not enough room for you in here."

Lottie shakes her head and skips off down towards the room she shares with Fizzy. "Love ya!" she calls back.

"I love myself, too," Louse shouts, before turning to Harry. "You know, I don’t wear these often, but these loud PJ patterns work for you. Goes with your manic eyes."

Harry rolls her eyes before squeezing past Louse in the door and flopping on the bed, over her dress. She stares at the ceiling. "What are we doing tomorrow?"

Louse yanks the dress from under her as Zayn takes her turn in the bathroom. "I dunno about you; Zayn and I are going shopping. Might see the new Fast and Furious. You know, regular girl’s day."

"Oh good," Harry drawls from the bed. "It’s important that you spend time with your significant other. I think, I read, somewhere that if you don’t, the relationship could be over like, the next day."

Louse launches herself onto the bed, straddling Harry. "Is that a threat? You angry about me spending time with Zayn?"

"It’s just… you spend a lot of time with her. And I get it, you need friend time away from me, but like, you spend a lot of your time—and like, we spend a lot of time together, so that’s not it. But—"

"Do you actually have an opinion, or do you just like the sound of your voice, Harry?" Louse sneers.

Harry grins wide and pushes Louse off and next to her on the side of the bed. "You do a lot of things to please her, and I don’t think you really think about repercussions, just ‘does Zayn think this is funny’ and I worry. Is all. There’s a lot of bad things that could happen. And I think Zayn’s cool, I have fun with her, too. I just…" Harry glances at an outfit hanging from the closet door. "Is that the outfit you’re wearing for tomorrow? Bit laddish, yeah?"

"Don’t change the subject, Harry! You think I like Zayn mor—wait, laddish? Oi, are you calling me butch?"

Harry shakes her head no, but scoots up towards the headboard to sit properly. "Just think you should show off your bum more than you do."

Zayn reappears, a towel wrapped around her head and another on her body. "Your shower’s amazin’. I could stay in there all day. And that new shower gel? Sick."

"Zayn, Harry thinks I should dress more provocatively."

Zayn glances at the outfit and nods slowly. "When you’re out with me, yeah, maybe."

Louse frowns, contorting herself into a different position on the bed. "You agreeing? While in my house?"

"Tech—technically, it’s Jay’s. House. You just—" A pillow drops onto Harry’s face.

Louse shushes the pillow. "You shut it, I’m done with you. Zayn: Yes or no, that outfit."

Zayn bends over to towel-dry her hair. "Well, you’re gonna wear it anyway, but you’d look nice in something more girly for once."

"A bit girly? Me? This one, oh, sorry," Louse yanks the pillow off of Harry’s face. "This one’s telling me to be girlier? Do you know who you’re dating, love?"

Harry smiles, but furrows her brows. "I’m not really sure, at the moment."

Louse sucks her teeth. "The lot of you. I’ll have you know I’m wearing that outfit whether you like it or not."

Zayn puts on her clothes under the towel and smiles at Harry. "It’s like we’re not even here."

"I know! Can’t tell this one anything." Harry smiles as Louse wiggles up next to her.

"You can tell me anything, actually. Might not pay attention or heed anything presented as advice, but I’ll—well, I have ears. I can’t not hear it." Louse stretches out on the bed, intertwining her legs with Harry’s.

"Ears that hear," Harry corrects. "Deaf people don’t—"

Louse groans and pulls away. "Oh my god, do you ever shut up? And don’t say ‘make me’ because I’ll only sock you with another pillow. Zayn, what’s on the schedule for tomorrow?"

"Erm," Zayn grunts, draping towels over doorknobs and collecting dresses on hangers. "Dunno. See a movie, maybe go by the Nando’s. You wanted something for that girl’s gig, yeah?"

"You’re seeing some other girl’s band?" Harry asks, pulling Louse back into her long arms. "You’re lucky I’m confident in our relationship."

Louse scoffs. "It’s not my idea; Zayn’s got the hots for the lead singer. We’ve got to look older to get in, though. It’s all the way in London proper."

"I don’t fancy the singer, alright. They’ve got a female rapper and she’s great. I’ve got her mixtapes and stuff. Louse likes them."

Louse shakes her head at Harry, who laughs. "Anyway, Zayn wants to snog the lead singer and so we’re going Sunday night."

"To London. Night before school? What’s Jay say about that?" Harry traces the shorter girl’s face with her fingers, smiling. Zayn makes a gagging sound and Harry throws her the bird, but she doesn’t see it.

"Dunno, me mum’s not here, is she? Anyway, you’ve got a car."

Harry’s eyes widen at that. "Am I to be driving you? I can’t leave my house at that time."

"What’s the point of a girlfriend if she can’t drive you places?" Louse whines and flops over on her other side. Harry looks over at Zayn, who sighs loudly and starts converting the sofa into a bed.

"It’s alright, I’ll get us a ride with someone that’s going. You’re off the hook, Harry." She reaches over and smacks her hand across the light switch. "Anyway, let’s get some sleep. Big day ahead."

Louse makes a squeak from her space on the bed. "I haven’t had a shower yet!"

"Are you having one?" Harry asks.

Louse wiggles into Harry’s space. "Well, no, but it’d be nice if you two didn’t think I was complete rubbish."

"Complains about being treated like a girl, complains about being seen as rubbish. What are you, exactly, Louse?" Zayn says, flicking the light back on.

Harry rustles the sheets around until they’re both covered. "I don’t think she really knows."

"Actually, if you’d let me finish my own questions, you’d know. Anyway, shut the light, yeah? Girl needs her sleep before a day of shopping."

Zayn mumbles but does it anyway.

***

Shopping goes decently. Louse finds a great outfit for Sunday’s concert: new trainers and a tracksuit. But, she promises Zayn, they’re better than what she had at home. Louse dumps her packages on a mall bench to even out the weight, and Zayn collapses next to them. 

"You not tired? My legs are killing me," she says, stretching out her legs.

Louse lifts herself on the balls of her feet. "Turns out trainers are proper comfy for a day out."

"You’ve not got socks on, you rat."

Louse looks down at her slip-ons. "Yeah, but, like, the point is comfort, yeah? Anyway, I’ve got like one more place to check."

"Is it a lid shop?" Zayn whines, letting her hair fall forward.

Louse loops her shopping bags onto one arm and yanks Zayn onto her feet with the other. "Yes, but we’re gonna get you a nice snapback for meeting your true love tomorrow."

Zayn lets Louse pull her along through a few more shops in the mall before declaring that she can’t walk anymore if she’s meant to stand all night tomorrow at the concert.

"You talked my ear off for weeks about tomorrow, and now you just want to show up in whatever? We’ve got to make an effort!" Louse shouts.

Zayn scoffs as they enter the elevator back to the main level. "I’ll find something on Polyvore, yeah?

Louse smiles and lets Zayn win finally. Zayn is beautiful enough inside and out that whoever she sets her sights on will fall at her feet anyway. "Fine, I’ve got enough for tomorrow," Louse says, turning back towards the exit.

***

The trek to the concert is long and shady, and Louse isn’t sure they won’t die just trying to make it to the venue. Harry was right; somehow this part of London is less tolerant of people outside gender norms. While Louse won’t bend to them, she feels all the more insecure about her trackies and the way men leer at Zayn’s crop top.

Louse crowds close to Zayn the last few blocks and blames the cold weather for the closeness. They’re close enough friends to not make it weird, but sometimes Louse wonders how close they actually are.

When they finally make it inside the venue, Zayn takes Louse's hand as they shove their way to the front by the bar. Louse tries to act tough, but her small frame betrays her. Eventually the bartender sees her and grants her the beers she’d ordered. 

Zayn is already flirting with the buff drummer and Louse frowns, confused at how fast Zayn can work and how she drifted from the bar so fast. It takes Louse five minutes to push her way to the stage with the drinks. She yells at Zayn, but she can’t hear her. 

A tattooed band members shoves past Louse and grumbles to someone at the bar. "It’s mental. London’s got such desperate girls. Nial's pull tonight looks like she’s gagging for it. Whatever lesbians gag for with each other, I guess." Louse can feel the heat flooding her face. She pushes forward to Zayn, shoves the beer in her hand and goes back to the blond talking about Zayn.

"Oi oi, I heard you saying something about lesbians?"

The blond turns to look Louse up and down, belches, and tilts his head. "Why, you on the hunt?"

Zayn crowds behind Louse and grins at the blond. "Love, I’ve got an in with Niall, what’re you doing? Hey, Dougie."

"D’you know this ‘un?" Louse squeaks, pointing at Dougie.

Zayn leans over to peck a kiss on Dougie’s face in reply. "Yeah? He's part of the band?"

"Well, I just heard him slagging you off, so you might want to reconsider." Louse glares at Dougie.

Zayn giggles and leans into Dougie. "It’s fine, I’m sure I deserved it, whatever it was. I've known Dougie, like, two years."

Dougie smacks Zayn on her butt and shoves her back into the crowd. "Well, I've never met him," Louse grumbles before shoving her way back into the crowd.

Zayn weaves around two couples heavily making out, making a face to Louse as she passes. They plant themselves two rows back from the stage. Dougie climbs on stage right and starts fiddling with an amp.

Louse yanks at Zayn’s arm. "I don’t like the look of these people, love."

"You knew we were coming early on, yeah? Stop worrying about everything, you know I always get us home before your mum starts yapping."

Louse frowns at that. Insulting her is one thing, coming after Jay is another. "Oi, me mum is lovely, alright. Just because she’s a tiny bit afraid of Harry doesn’t mean anything, yeah? This isn’t about me and her, anyway, it’s about getting us home in one piece and your dignity intact, yeah?"

Zayn grins and gestures at the others on stage before turning a scowl on Louse. "Louse, my dignity went home a few years ago. Just because you and Harry can’t find a place to bone doesn’t mean the rest of us aren’t as dumb?"

Louse opens her mouth to object at the new insult, but loses her words when the lights flicker and shut down. "Oh, fuck me, what?"

Zayn’s hands slowly curl around Louse’s in the dark and if she could, Louse would steady her with a single glance. Zayn talks tough and unaffected but only Louse ever gets to see the softer side—and sometimes deal with the aftermath when her walls don’t work that well. 

Instead, Louse clamps her fingers around Zayn’s claw-like nails and pulls her towards the bar. Someone screams and Louse realizes that the lights never turned back on—the ambiance of the room is coming from an amp. 

An amp that caught on fire. A fire that crawls across the wooden beams near the stage, the hair of an unfortunate aerosol loyalist, and the clothes of a few other concertgoers. Someone shoves past Zayn and Louse and suddenly everyone’s running: towards friends, the door, away from the bar, away from people. 

Louse clenches her fist even more and shoulders her way to the exit. It’s only when she gets outside that she realizes Zayn’s hand is not clasped within hers anymore.

Louse tries to shout but her nerves won’t let her, and the commotion around her drowns out her high-pitched noises. For a moment she wonders what she’s going to tell Trisha when she gets back home, or who’s going to be her maid of honor when she spots Zayn climbing into the band’s van down the way. Louse takes off immediately and grabs a hold of the car door before they take off. When the window rolls down, Louse is staring straight into a girl's face.

"Jaysus, you trying to kill us all?" It’s the rapper Zayn wanted to meet. She frowns and pulls off her sunglasses.

Louse clings to the side of the van from the step. "You’ve got my friend in there and I don’t take kindly to people kidnapping my mates."

"Zayn?" The blonde frowns and glances to the back row. "Zayn, this nutter your girlfriend? Don’t know where you were when the place was catching fire, but we’re trying not to die so—"

Louse scoffs. "The department’s on its way, love. You’re parked halfway down the block, it’s not gonna—"

A loud explosion goes off, and a few band members poke their heads out of the sun roof to inspect the scene. The rapper screams and startles herself. "Fucking hell. You were saying? We’ve got to go, you can profess your love to Zayn later," she says, shoving Louse off onto the asphalt. The bigger man at the wheel throws the van into drive.

Louse watches them drive away with Zayn and pulls out her mobile. She’s got a few missed calls from Harry and she cringes, knowing she’ll never hear the end of it about chilling with Zayn. She swipes at Harry's photo and puts the phone to her ear. "Love, I’ve gotten into a bit of a sitch, but, and like, don’t yell, yeah, but you’ve gotta help me get back home…."

***

It takes an intricate series of Harry’s oddball friends in the radio club to get Louse back home. And if she suspects anything, Jay doesn’t say. The news about what happened hits the media around noon the next day. The worried students disrupt so much of the day the school grants an early dismissal. Louse doesn’t say anything when she passes a concerned Harry in the hall, just nods her respect at Kelly and Pixie, Harry's friends who ventured out to London to get her at midnight. Harry has science club, but even if she didn’t Louse wouldn’t have wanted her around. Louse continues on her way home in silence. 

Two weeks pass at a snail's pace. Most of the funerals, wakes, and memorials happen together and most of the neighborhood and all the local media attend them all. Niall's band, McBress, promises to play at the upcoming Halloween dance, and a fund begins to help cover the cost of damages for the venue.

Zayn hasn’t returned Louse's voicemails and she's a no-show in all her classes. As the days stretch on, all Louse wants is her bed and a good cry on Zayn’s shoulders. She starts irrationally blaming Harry for Zayn's disappearance.

It's mid-October when Louse unlocks the door after school to find Lottie and Fizzy chasing the twins around the hallways. Generally she’d adopt the big sister role and cordon them off into their separate rooms, put the twins down for a nap. Instead, Louse makes her way straight to her own room, dumps her belongings on the floor and sinks under the duvet.

After what feels like two hours of straight crying, Fizzy interrupts with an "y’alright?"

Louse answers with a loud growl and deigns to climb further under the sheets, but realizes she should at least face the world for a few minutes. She resurfaces, dries her eyes on the duvet, and wiggles out of her cave, sniffling as she digs in her bag for her mobile.

There’s enough messages from Harry to warrant a call to the house, which is probably why Fizzy was at Louse’s door. "I’m fine, Fizzy," Louse says again, just as a precaution, but there’s no movement in the hallway. "Harry?" Louse tries, but she doesn’t hear her either. Louse sighs. "Of course," Louse says pointedly at her Pink Murder plush. "She can’t be a real woman for one bloody day. What’s mum gonna do to her after what I pulled last month?" 

There’s a text from Harry timestamped around the time Louse left school. Louse opens the conversation with Harry and types out ‘Hey thanks for gvin me space. I’m ok but I haven’t hard from Zayn’ and punctuates it with the broken heart, crying, and kissy face emojis.

It’s near 6pm by the time Louse is strong enough to peel herself out of bed and into the hallway to deal with the world. To her surprise, the twins are asleep and Lottie and Fizzy are on their iPads watching danisnotonfire. Louse climbs onto the sofa next to them and cuddles them. Fizzy gives Louse a quizzical look, but smiles nonetheless.

Jay gets home, arms full of take away, around 7pm. Louse jumps to her feet immediately to help out, in her haste knocking a napping Lottie in the face with her elbow. "Sorry!" Louse yells behind her. "Mum, the twins are asleep, everyone’s done with their studies, us girls were just watching videos. D’y’need help setting things up?"

Jay studies Louse up and down, and relinquishes two bags. "You can set up the places, but we’re still talking about what's going on with you once we’re done. Spoke to Anne at lunch, Trish is complete mad!"

Louse’s shoulders slump as she follows her mom into the kitchen. "I know, I haven’t heard from Zayn yet myself—she got out okay, but she took off with some mentals. ...How mad is her mum?" Louse dumps the bags on the counter and starts pulling dishes and silverware out of the cupboards.

"She’s more worried than mad," Jay says, and then stops, glancing over at Louse. "Louis, you know that I know that your life is hard. I just want you to be safe, yeah?" Her eyes twinkle with tears and Louse sighs, trying to keep her own emotions at bay.

Jay crosses the room and hugs Louse tight, and Louse feels like she can’t breathe after two seconds. She taps on Jay’s back and she lets go. "Alright, alright," Louse says, with a gasp.

"I’m sorry. I just worry so much. I’m just so confused by your life."

Louse groans at that and turns back to fixing plates of food. "Mum, it’s not that weird. Harry and me are fine, I’m not with Zayn, we’re not gonna run off and like, be in a poly sort of thing. Zayn and I had a lot of fun… maybe a little far from home, maybe wrong place wrong time sort of situation, but like…" Louse trails off. 

Her mobile buzzes from the living room. Zayn’s tone. "Zayn…" she says, absently, and bolts to answer it.

"‘Bout time you answer my call, yeah?"

Louse exhales and startles herself by bursting into tears. "It’s so good to hear your voice, where the bloody hell are you?"

"Language, Louis!" Fizzy pipes up from the corner, and Louse rolls her eyes and dashes into her room.

Zayn chuckles on the other end and Louse realizes she might be high. "Mate, are you soaring?"

"Like a jet, mate. I’m at Niall’s. Bres—the broody bass player, innit—is here, and so’s Dougie and their manager." In the background a girl shouts a ‘wa-hey!’ and a bunch of men laugh to hard to be sober.

Louse sits on the edge of her bed and shakes her head. "Who the fuck is Niall?"

"You remember, that sick rapper from that Sunday."

Louse nods. "Right, the same sick rapper we didn’t get to see perform because their bloody amp caught fucking on fire, and the whole spot is now timber?"

"Well, like, no one told them to make a fucking wooden bar in the middle of South London? Alcohol is flammable, yeah? …Sick."

"You wanted to go there, Zayn."

"Are you blaming me for the accident? Cause like, I’m way too high for that right now, love."

Louse sighs louder than she should into the mouthpiece. Zayn swears on the other end. "I’m not blaming you for naught, yeah, but people fucking died, Zayn. Five kids from our school are still missing, and I haven’t heard from you since these ‘uns carted you off."

"I’m not like, your security blanket, yeah? I’m alright, and we’re talking now. So if you can not like, yell in my ear. I’ll see you tomorrow. Maybe you won’t be so angry at me then."

Louse growls in frustration. "I’m not yelling at yo—," she says before realizing the call ended. "It was two fucking weeks, wanker," she says, chucking her mobile across the bed and stomping off to the kitchen again. "Mum, that was Zayn, she’s okay."

Jay hums happily.

***

The night continues without further events, and by half ten Louse is back in her room, readying for tomorrow when her mobile goes off. As she lunges for it, she realizes it’s Harry and her excitement dampens when she answers with a "‘ullo."

"So I call my girlfriend, after not having seen or spoken to her in hours. And the most she can do is mutter a simple greeting," Harry says, but there’s no real offense in her voice.

Louse chuckles and flops back on her bed. "’S alright, soz, I’m dead tired from today. Finally heard from Zayn, she’s a bit weird, but ok. How was whatnot after school."

Harry’s voice brightens and delves into a long story with more details than Louse cares to hear. Harry goes on for thirty minutes and fills her in on every minute they weren’t together. Louse zones out every now and then, only zoning back in to see where they are in the story and to comment so Harry knows she’s not completely asleep. "You’re not even listening," Harry says inevitably.

"‘Course I am, love. You were debating to tie Nick’s shoe for him or tell him to do it during Maths." Louse puts Harry on speaker and starts to take off the day’s makeup.

Harry hums and continues. "I love how much you care about my day," she coos.

"Yup," Louse says, not even trying to hide the sarcasm. "Shoe, tied or not. Let’s get it, Haz." Louse snaps her fingers over the mouthpiece.

"Alright, alright," Harry says, continuing on with her story.

When Louse dabs zit gel on her chin, she hears a scratching sound at the window. She frowns and waves at Harry, until she realizes she can’t see her movements. "Harry, is that you?"

"…It’s been me for the last hour, Louse. Where have you—"

"Not that, that scratching… Harry, shush for a second," Louse says, muting her mobile, and Harry in the process. She grabs her Hawkeye replica crossbow and sneaks closer to the window, hiding in the curtains before pulling them aside. It’s only mid-swing that Louse realizes it’s Zayn outside, and has to pull away from the window to avoid hitting her. "Oh bloody hell, Zayn," Louse exhales, dropping the crossbow and picking up her phone. "Love, it’s Zayn. I’ll call you tomorrow," she says and ends the call without giving Harry time to say goodbye. "Can you not use the front door anymore? Did your rapper lady tell you summat I should know?"

Zayn stares straight through Louse, who stares back until her brain catches up. 

"Shit, sorry, love, do you want to come in?" Louse reaches for the lock and then stops. "Wait. Don’t. Are you a vampire? No, sorry, it’s late. You’re not though, yeah?" She fiddles with the lock at last, and shoves the pane out of the way. Zayn pours herself over the windowsill and collapses on the floor of the room. Her hair is muddy and stinks like incense. Louse groans at the smell. "Mate, get up before you ruin my floors. Me mum’s already livid at us both. If my room smells like like a hit, I’m not gonna be alive to see my wedding day."

Zayn groans and tucks herself into a ball, resting against the wall under the window. "I’m hungry," she says, in a low rumble.

"You’re hungry? There’s about five other places that serve food on this road, and you come to my room? Whatever, stay here, I’ll go make you a plate from our left—"

Zayn grabs onto Louse as she makes to leave and pulls her back to attention. "I’m hungry."

"I’m not deaf, Zayn. Going to get you some food and then we’re going to bed, it’s quite late. Let me go," Louse shakes her arm to get Zayn to let go, but Zayn only stands up instead. "Alright," Louse concedes. "Figured it’d be easier for you to eat in here since you couldn’t even use the front door to visit, but unconventional entrance, proper meals. Got it."

Louse whines as Zayn trails mud across the hallway. Louse turns on the lights and Zayn slides into one of the dining chairs and curls in on herself. "I’m hungry," she repeats.

"Well, we’re in the kitchen, love, that’s as close as you’re getting to food," Louse says, packing curry and rice into a re-heatable container.

Zayn rises to her feet and walks towards Louse, shoves her hands into the slop. "I’m hungry," she repeats.

Louse recoils from Zayn and nearly drops the food. "Couldn’t wait until it’s warmed and edible?" The sounds Zayn makes are almost orgasmic and Louse tries to hush her before Jay wakes up. "Alright, alright, take human bites. You’ll wake the whole house."

Zayn piles the last of the leftover dish down her throat. Louse’s hand goes to her own throat in sympathy. "I know you’ve been with a lot of guys, but that’s fucking sick! Did you train for that?"

The remnants of food drip from Zayn’s chin and make a splattering sound by her feet. Louse lunges for a kitchen roll, and Zayn lunges for the fridge.

Louse frowns as Zayn opens the door and lets it swing wide open. "Not enough for you? I can heat you up a proper meal, yeah?" 

Zayn slumps to the floor and Louse sits down next to her, wiping her mouth with a paper towel.

"This is literally the most complicated munchies case I've ever seen. No shame, though, we'll get you feeling full in no tim--"

Zayn grabs Louse's face and pulls her into a kiss. Louse tries to pull away--Zayn is frigid to the touch--but Zayn continues to suck on her lips.

Louse uses her whole body to pull away from Zayn and leap to her feet. "What the fuck, Zayn."

"I'm hungry," Zayn repeats, and climbs to her own feet. Zayn walks them backwards until they hit the door jam, and starts feeling her hands up Louse's body.

Louse holds Zayn's face away from her own. "Zayn, I don't know what you're doing and you're scaring me."

"I'm hungry," Zayn moans, dropping her mouth to Louse's collarbone.

"For fucks' sake, Zayn, my whole family's home. Can you at least be quieter?" Louse gulps as Zayn licks a trail up her neck. "Okay," Louse says finally. "Follow me." Louse grabs Zayn's hand and starts to pull her across the room, but a gurgling sound stops her. "The fuck is that noise?"

When Louse turns around, Zayn's whole face is frozen in fear. Zayn retches and Louse twists her around to face the kitchen tile as a large stream of black, turgid, oily substance comes spewing out.

A bit of it dribbles onto Zayn's shirt as she turns back to Louse. "I'm hungry," she says, sheepish.

And then she collapses on the tile.

***

The moment Zayn walks into science hall, Louse's whole body tenses. She’s still angry about having to scrub the kitchen for three hours, and Zayn’s unapologetic grin isn’t helping. She plops next to Louse, as she always does and grins. Louse doesn’t return the smile.

"Alright, who pissed in your cereal?" Zayn says, leaning into Louse’s shoulder.

Louse lets her, if only because things being more out of the ordinary right now would be more than she can handle. "Dunno, didn’t have breakfast. Too busy cleaning up after someone who doesn’t even live with me," Louse snarks, fixing her lab goggles.

"Wow, sorry, next time I’m feeling under the weather I know not to come round yours. Keep my germs to myself." Zayn sits up in her chair, moving away from Louse. It only takes her a moment before she speaks up again. "What about the day after El’s party?"

Louse smacks her palms on the desk, and a classmate turns around, angered. "Sorry," she says, before addressing Zayn in a hushed voice. "You know very well that was a different circumstance. You were gone, I tried contacting you—do you know how many kids died that Sunday? And you left with that band?"

"I bet you cried right into Harry’s arms. Did you finally do it?"

The blood floods Louse’s face and she can feel the adrenaline sparking in her veins. "That’s not even my point! Are you really concerned about my relationship? You know full well I care more about you—I mean, I’ve known you my whole life, yeah?" Louse studies Zayn’s eyes, but there’s no apology, no recognition. "People died, Zayn. They let us out early because everyone was too distraught about the tragedy. People in our class! Shit, I was just worried—I genuinely took a moment to figure out how my life would work without you, do you know?" 

"Well, like. I’m not dead? You can focus on the positive, yeah? I’m right here. Sorry, about the others, but your friend, your best friend like you say, is right here. Doing alright, alive and that," Zayn says, adjusting her sunglasses in her hair. "And after last night..."

"Don't," Louse says, pointing a finger at Zayn. "We never speak about that again. Nothing happened."

They sit the rest of the class in silence. Louse tries focusing on the boring chapter they’re supposed to have read. Out of the corner of her eye Louse can see Zayn scribbling in the margins, but her regular action comics and sugar skull aesthetic are gone. Instead she’s scrawling concentric circles and demonic looking lettering across the top of her pad. Louse stares for two full seconds before refusing to look Zayn’s way for the rest of the class.

The moment the bell rings Louse leaps over the desks and into the halls. She misses Harry waiting outside the classroom. "Are you alright?" Harry says, chasing after her. "Look like you’re in the Olympics for a moment there."

Louse smiles and reaches up to kiss Harry. "A bunch of kids died and my best friend is mental. It's been a rough start to the year. I mean, I’m fine, it’s the rest of the world that’s shit," Louse says, drawing Harry in for a hug.

"A Tommo hug? You really aren’t okay," Harry drawls against the top of Louse’s head. "Hey, don’t look now, but Liam is coming over."

Liam Payne had been the stockiest tomboy as a child. Her cruel genetics earned her the nickname "the Huge Homo". But she had better self-esteem than her bullies and proudly still wore "Lee Mo" on her jersey as the football club captain. Louse kept her close as a sort of penance for their childhood days.

"Don’t call her that, she prefers Lee," Louse says, shoving Harry in the ribs.

Harry whines and rubs at her side, forcing a smile as Liam walks over, her sun-kissed hair falling over her tanned shoulders. The current Liam looks like she walked right off the Olympic Volleyball team.

"Hiya, Tomlinson. Styles," Liam says, her genuine smile pushing her cheeks into perfect circles. "Listen, I heard about Sunday," she says, her smile fading. "That must have been horrible. I’m sorry you had to be there but if you need to chat or anything, I’m here, okay? You’ve got my Kik, yeah?"

Louse pulls out her phone and waves it around. "Got it right here, yup. Thanks, Lee Mo."

"No problem," Liam says, with a chuckle as she rustles her hair. "Morale is something they teach us on the team, and we only just had homecoming, so it’ll be a real bummer if the school spirit dies this early in the year."

Louse nods and crowds next to Harry. "Yeah, deffo. Can’t have that happen. Hey, did you see what we were supposed to do for Mrs. Azoff? I wasn’t paying attention this morning. Proper knackered from a late night with my sisters."

Liam nods and pulls out her phone. "I can just Kik it to you?"

"Perfect," Louse says and tugs Harry away. "Say bye, Harry, and thanks again, Lee Mo!"

Harry giggles as she’s pulled along, too amused by the awkward situation to keep her poker face. "What was all that? You’re friends with Lee Mo?"

"We’re not like, lads, yeah? We’ve just got certain classes together. I like to keep her on my side, anyway. You never want the brute on your enemy's side."

Harry grins. "As long as you’re not leaving me for her, you can do whatever you want."

"Oh good, I’m glad you give your permission for me to do whatever with my own life, cheers."

Louse drags Harry out to her car and demands they go to Nando’s for a bite before Louse heads off to be 'Master Babysitter' while Jay pulls a double shift. Louse gets a plate of wings and gives four to Harry, who sits across from her slurping a large drink.

Louse’s mobile buzzes on the side of her plate and she glances down at it. "Zayn just texted me she’s going on a date with Lee Mo."

"Does that bother you?" Harry blinks slowly.

Louse stops chewing long enough to cock her head at Harry. "No, not in the way you’re implying. Just… Zayn’s been weird lately. After she came over last night and was sick all over the floor, I had to clean that up. I’ve still got the gunk under my fingernails now." She shoves her hand in Harry’s face.

"It looks like peri-peri sauce from here," Harry frowns.

Louse sighs and wipes her hand on a napkin. "Not that. Under it, silly. Doesn’t come out. That’s like proper evil."

"Could just be oil," Harry says, and takes a large slurp from her drink that draws attention from a nearby table. "Apologies," she says, waving at everyone.

Louse smacks her hand down. "Oi, are you paying attention or not? I’m trying to tell you something is wrong."

"About us?" Harry says, suddenly concerned. "I thought we go nicely together. Why are you doing this in a Nando’s?" Harry reaches across the table for Louse’s hand.

"I’m not finishing with you!" Louse says, smacking away Harry’s. "I’m talking about Zayn. I think those band members did something to her."

Harry wipes her hand across her eyes and blinks. "Oh. Like… _did_ something or…?"

Louse frowns and looks down at Harry’s hands as she waves them around. "What?"

"Like, should we call the police? Or should we light candles."

Louse sits straight in her seat and chucks a chicken bone at Harry. "Not lighting any candles, and we’re not calling the police. I mean, I don’t think we need to. If we do, I will. But no, she’s just…not herself?"

"I know someone who does exorcisms without smoke. We could call them."

Louse swallows a bite of chicken and studies Harry. "You know, you drive me wild, but sometimes you’re just mental? Exorcisms? Is this your way of getting me to calm down? Implying my friend is a demon?"

"You said it was something evil last night, didn’t you? I heard you say it. You think she’s mental."

Louse wipes her mouth and picks up another wing. "Yeah, mental. Not possessed, love." Louse takes a sip of her own drink, studying the confusion on Harry’s face. "Anyway, Lee Mo. Good girl, good girl. Could teach Zayn a few things."

Harry grins, her nostrils flaring like it does when she regrets something. "A few things, alright."

"Just get it out, Harry. No use struggling. What is it?"

"Well, you know how Liam’s a wrestler, too, right?"

"Yeah?"

"And Zayn’s crafty."

"…Harry."

"Just, you know, scissors and clotheslines."

"Harry."

Harry dissolves into giggles across from Louse. Louse shakes her head. Harry is a great jokester but sometimes doesn’t communicate all the steps. Louse enjoys watching Harry get so close to a great punchline and then jumping ship.

When they’re done with Nando’s, Harry drops Louse off at her house to wait for more information on Zayn. Louse pulls out her phone to check for messages and screams at it to find Zayn, when a text from Zayn comes through.

Louse’s face lights up and she dances in her seat, showing the mobile to Harry. "Oh good, she didn’t kill Liam yet?"

"Why would..? The demon? Harry, just because—wait." Louse starts typing furiously on her phone and Harry shuts off the engine. "Zayn says she’s going to make me pay for being with you?"

Harry chokes on a breath. "Oh god, I knew it."

"Excuse me, nothing’s gone on with me and Zayn!"

Harry shakes her hair and pulls it back into a bun. "Not that. Zayn and Liam."

"She’s using Liam to get you to her lair."

Louse’s eyebrows disappear under her fringe. "Her lair," she says, nodding. "Harry. A lot of stuff is going on with Zayn, and I can’t have you going Daily Mail on me, as well. I need you here, yeah?"

The thump on the driver window startles both of them, and Louse curses as she drops her phone. Harry lowers the window when she regains her composure. "I was just dropping her off, Mrs. Tomlinson."

"Mum, I almost cracked my screen! Could you not be so dramatic next time?" Louse says, examining her phone in her hands.

Jay leans into the car and kisses Harry on the cheek. "Oi, I’m so glad you two are here. Things are happening on the news. Scary things, weird things. But I have to go to work. You’re staying here to watch the girls."

Harry blinks and presses back into her seat. "I know it’s dark, Mrs. Tomlinson, but I’m Harry. Your daughter is over here." Harry gestures with her thumb at the passenger side. Louse smiles and waves. "Oi oi, mum."

"Do not ‘oi oi’ me right now, lady," Jay says, waving a finger at Louse, then Harry. "You park this car and get inside. I don’t want anything happening to you."

Louse collects her school things from the backseat and kisses Harry chastely as she gets out of the car. "Alright, alright, I’m going. Thanks for the ride, Harry."

"No, you too, inside the house. I’m not having you drive to Anne’s by yourself. You’re here for the night. I called and she’s with Gem and Des."

Louse swings around behind her mother, her face fighting the joy wanting to spread across it. She locks eyes with Harry and raises her eyebrows.

"You can park two spots up, and then get your butt in my house," Jay says, standing free of the car so Harry can drive off. Turning around to Louse, she shoves her shoulder. "You’re a grown woman, act like it, yeah? No funny businesses while I’m away. You’re there to take care of your sisters," Jay says, and then turns to Harry as she walks up to the house. "Alright?"

Bewildered, Harry nods. "Whatever you say?"

"Right. Mum," Louse says. "I’m sure everything is fine. The girls will be fine, we’ll be fine. We’ll see you around midnight?"

Jay leans in and kisses her eldest. She was about Louse’s age when she had her. Louse knows the reason she keeps her on such a tight rope is out of love. But having to grow up faster while Jay spends almost all day out at her two jobs weighs on Louse, so it’s nice when Jay stops to show she’s concerned. "Mum," Louse groans but her voice catches, betraying her.

"Um, we don’t even know what’s happening? We were at a Nando’s since school let out." Harry says. She scratches at her arm absentmindedly.

Jay kisses Harry on the forehead. "For God’s sake, love, watch the telly now and then. It can learn you some things. I’ve got to go." Jay takes off in the direction of the tube stop, leaving Harry with her mouth hanging open.

"Okay, but I still don’t know what’s happening," Harry grumbles.

Louse waits until her mom turns the corner before jumping into Harry’s arms. "Who cares, you’re sleeping over!"

"Yes, but also I don’t want to overstep boundaries. We’re supposed to watch your sisters."

Louse scoffs and peels herself off of Harry. "God, it’s not like you could get me pregnant, Harry," she says climbing the stairs to the house.

"Yeah, but I would try really, _really_ hard."

Louse’s cackle echoes in the hallway before Harry clamps a hand over her mouth.

***

They end up ordering curry and a pizza for the twins, who can’t handle the spice. Harry ends up using the family laptop to look up the news and hums before passing it over to Louse.

"Harry, I can’t look at gifs right now, Phoebe’s forgotten where her mouth is. You’re not even having curry, bless."

Harry grunts. "No, Louse, look. About Zayn."

"What’s happening?" Louse says, almost dropping Phoebe’s slice in her lap. "Let me see."

Harry’s Facebook is open to post after post from their classmates freaking out about another death. "I’m telling you, it’s demons, Lou."

"It’s not demons, Haz, there’s no way. Anyway, this has got nothing to do with Zayn. It’s just some poor sod in the woods."

Harry takes the laptop back with a protest from Louse. "No one ever dies around here, Louse. And five people died Sunday, there was another Mond—"

"Monday?" Louse interjects. "What happened Monday?"

"That Calum guy and his mates?" Harry prods, but when Louse’s confusion doesn’t disappear, she continues. "They found his body in the football pitch—did you not hear about this?"

Louse sorts out Phoebe’s food situation and slides onto the couch next to Harry. "Honestly, I wasn’t listening to anything the last two weeks, I was too worried about Zayn." Harry pulls a face and Louse sucks her teeth. "Nothing’s going on, alright? Anyway, Calum, right. What’s next."

"Well, I think like, it’s probably Zayn. Or those band people. Right?"

Louse blinks and stares at Harry’s intense green eyes. Louse squints. "Harry. What, precisely, about them?"

"Well, maybe it’s like a succubus? Because like, she was gone for a fortnight? And after the ritual, they’re sort of just… servants of the undead."

Louse pulls the laptop out of Harry’s hands and scrolls over to a new tab, mumbling out how to spell succubus. "Okay, Harry, but look at this article," she says, tabbing back over to another news story. "Last night there were two victims in the alley by that Nando’s we were at today."

Harry leans over and nods. "That’s probably why your mum’s so upset."

Louse’s eyes go wide at that. "I’d completely forgotten. Wait, go back to the sucky things?"

"This site doesn’t look that legit," Harry says, grabbing the laptop back. "Like, try Wikipedia. They have everything there."

Louse crosses her arms. "You can’t go through life expecting to use Wikipedia as a source for everything, Haz."

Harry frowns at Louse. "I use it for all my term papers. I do just fine."

Louse nods as she stands up to deal with Daisy’s food, placing a condescending hand on Harry’s shoulder. "Honestly, that explains so much about you, Harry."

Harry reads the Wikipedia entry and a few other links out loud as Louse cleans the living room and shuffles her sisters off to wash. The twins get two hours of iPad time before they’re sent off to bed and Fizzy and Lottie end up falling asleep after an intense game of Parcheesi. Louse pokes both of them and Harry organizes bath times so they’re off to sleep at ten. 

Harry grabs Fizzy’s aluminum bat when she’s busy climbing under her duvet and Louse triple checks the front door for good measure. And if Harry doesn’t notice as Louse casually drags a table chair over to the front door, she doesn’t need to know.

Louse leads Harry into her room and the mood has already been killed, but it doesn’t mean they can’t fool around a while.

But then Harry hugs Louse to her chest and starts to cry. "I don’t want to lose you," she whimpers.

"Jesus, what? What makes you think I’m going anywhere?"

Harry lets Louse go and sits on the edge of her bed. "There’s dangers out there and no one knows anything. And I know you love Zayn more than me, it’s cool, I came to terms with that. You’re gonna go fight her and you don’t know what will happen. And I…"

Louse grabs Harry’s hands and shushes her. "Well, it’s nice to see you have great faith in us defeating whatever is happening." Harry chuckles and Louse holds her face in her hands, kissing along the tears’ paths. "Honestly, we’re prepared, me and you. Right now, we’ve got to make sure nothing happens tonight. Take it a day at a time, we’ll figure it out. As for Zayn… I really want to save her, but if—"

"What did you do with the liquid," Harry says, her hands stopping Louse from moving.

Louse stills. "The… curry? I ate it."

"No, the night Zayn was here. You said she was sick on the tile?" Harry pushes Louse off from where she’d climbed onto her lap.

Louse almost loses her balance but manages to untangle herself from Harry’s limbs. She stands, a tad annoyed that Harry keeps stalling their one chance to fool around. She glances at her Iron Man clock. "Harry, it’s like half 12. My mum’s gonna be back anytime at this point. What are you getting at?"

"Are you sure that didn’t like, summon more demons?"

Louse’s hand is halfway to smacking her face before she stops. "Wait, like, pheromones?" Louse shakes her head. "I don’t think so. Why, do you think like, there’s other demons? Like daddy demons or something?"

Harry’s mouth is open to answer, but the only sound that hits both their ears is a high-pitched scream and the sound of car breaks screeching to a halt.

The blood drains from Louse’s face. "Mum," she says as she shoves Harry away, kicks down the door and rushes into the streets. She hears Harry leaving the house behind her and swivels in place. "No! You stay with my sisters."

Harry opens her mouth to protest, but realizes Louse is right and retreats back into the house.

Someone exits onto the street three houses down and Louse follows their gaze. There’s mangled metal and a body in the streets. Louse can’t identify anything in the moonlight, but there’s definitely blood.

Louse takes off as fast as her Vans can carry her, tears threatening to blur her sight. It’s not clear what did all the damage—there’s too much metal scattered about for a collision with a pedestrian—but there’s a crowd gathering around the body. Louse stops two rows away and pushes her way through the crowd, not bothering to be polite. She brushes her sweaty fringe off her face and gasps at Liam’s body lying on her side. Louse can’t help but run to her side, brushing away Liam’s bloodied hair.

She doesn’t feel heavy in the way Harry’s rambled on about the science death before, and she’s clammy to the touch. Louse whispers Liam’s name to her and rocks her back and forth.

"Pardon, miss, we’ll take it from here," says a voice Louse doesn’t recognize, and then A&E workers are peeling her away from Liam.

"She’s not dead. She’s just unconscious," Louse says when she’s back on her feet. "She’s not dead."

As the workers lift Liam into the ambulance, Louse glances around at the crowd. Most of them are people from the neighborhood, but no one she knows too well.

There’s blood and dirt from Liam on Louse's sleeves, and she rubs her snotty nose on the hem of her jumper as she walks back home. She forgets about the potential danger lurking until she sees Jay waiting at the top of the stairs, arms folded. Harry stands sheepishly behind her with Louse’s mobile in her hands.

"Where the bloody hell where you? I come home to just four girls and Harry? You’re not answering your mobile, either?"

Instead of answering, Louse crumbles at the bottom step, bawling. Harry brushes past Jay to console her. "Did you find her?" It’s a whisper and Louse can tell that Harry hasn’t spent her time with Jay discussing what Zayn is or isn't.

Jay is less upset at Louse after she recounts her story about the car crash. Louse and Harry fall asleep on the sofa while arguing over how Liam fits into the whole situation.

***

Zayn doesn’t show up at school the next day. No one notices. 

Everyone’s too busy discussing the body count over the last month and whether it’s all an elaborate prank to promote the upcoming Halloween dance. Louse rolls her eyes at lunch when the next table loudly discusses the probability that all the closed caskets at the funerals last month were empty, and leaves to eat her lunch alone in the urban garden behind the school.

Liam returns to school a week later, a few scars on her face and her arm in a bandage. Louse has so many questions for her, and doesn’t know if she remembers or even knows that Louse was there that night, but she can’t bring herself to talk Liam. The last person to see Zayn was Liam, as far as Harry's research can tell, and while Louse knows in her core it’s not Liam’s doing, she blames her for Zayn’s current disappearance. 

Instead they lock eyes when passing in the hallway and share sad, knowing smiles.

Harry tries to take Louse’s mind off of Zayn by dragging her on her decoration shopping trips. Until Liam is fully healed, Harry volunteered to take inventory and buy new decorations for the dance.

"Do you remember what I wore for homecoming? Absolutely horrible. When you went shopping the next day I just watched all of American Horror Story." Harry holds up skeleton leggings. "If I wear this with my sugar skull tee, would that work?"

Louse bumps the shopping cart into Harry’s butt. "You hate American Horror Story."

"Yeah. Which shows you how tired I was. Should I try harder, or just pay out with this? Get some flats, paint them with Gemma’s eyeliner."

Louse stops bumping the cart, snorts, and pushes her hair out of her face. "Prefer you buy your own paints than using your sister’s makeup. Can’t be that much."

Harry hums and drops the leggings into the cart. "Well, she’d be doing my makeup. Can’t draw a straight line to sign my name on. What about this tie for you?"

Louse scrunches her nose. "‘Can’t draw a straight line’… Harry, no one says that. Also I’ve got my costume already, and that’s the wrong sort of tie. Haven’t you seen a picture of Jigsaw?"

"Well, I don’t know what your inspirations are!" Harry says, dropping the tie from her hands. "Sometimes you like to veer a bit from the source code."

"Did you watch like, some hacker movie last night? Where are these phrases of yours coming from?"

Harry sighs and pushes the cart against Louse. "It was a b-budget movie. You should watch it."

"Can’t do that unless you actually tell me the name." Louse stands on the shopping cart’s rungs to peer ahead at the next aisle. "Ooh, move, I see some sick shoes I want in the next section," she says, kicking off of a shelf and riding the cart down the aisle.

"Wait, but do you have everything you need from this aisle?" Harry calls behind her.

"I hope so," Louse says with a fake air of panic. "It’s really terrible how you can’t circle back around in a Tesco!"

Harry sighs and follows.

Louse jams her foot into a platform sneaker. "Look at the height these give me! Beautiful with that dress Fizzy bought me last week, yeah?"

Harry leans against the shelves and stares at Louse, smiling. Louse catches her eye and shoves the shoes into the shopping cart, the delight in her eyes fading immediately.

"Listen, I don’t want you going to the dance." Louse avoids Harry’s eyes and goes back to pushing the cart.

Harry wrinkles her brow. "Uh, Lou, I am the coordinator. I’m buying my outfit now, I can’t not go."

"No. No, you’re not," Louse says, louder than she needs. A couple in the next aisle peek over the sections at them. Louse doesn’t glance their way. "Liam is the coordinator. You’re just filling in, and when she’s got the bandage off you won’t have to go!"

"You’re going. Aren’t I supposed to go with you, since we’re together?" Harry leans in to wrap her arm around Louse as they walk. It’s not the smoothest transition and they end up poking elbows into breasts and shoulders into arms before Harry reconsiders and lets Louse go.

Louse shakes her head. "I think Zayn is gonna show. And I… can’t let her find you. She can’t have you."

"I don’t understand," Harry says, pulling her arms out of her jacket sleeves and flapping the empty sleeves at Louse in a playfighting attempt. "Why would Zayn be attacking me? Besides the… obvious, that she’s attacking everyone at our—"

"You can’t tell if it’s her, Harry," Louse interrupts, sternly. "I still think if it's really her, that she might be under a spell or summat."

Harry shrugs and nods at Louse. "Okay. But I think, and I know that you’re hoping for the best, which is good, but I think that—"

"Zayn and I snogged." Louse watches as the color in Harry's face drains away. "Oh god, Harry, I’m sorry," Louse says, taking off for the car park.

Harry catches up to her an aisle away and starts laughing in her face. Louse frowns and shoots her a quizzical look, but Harry shakes her head. "Were you running to my car? To get away from me?"

Louse thinks for a second, opening and closing her mouth before she concedes the point and smirks. They both start laughing as Harry walks her back to their abandoned cart. Louse holds her head in her hands as she walks. "Oh my god, Harry! Harry, I’m so sorry. You have to believe me."

Harry nods. "It hurts, and I haven’t processed it completely, but I want you to explain before I decide how I feel."

"You’re a good man, Charlie Brown," Louse says, poking Harry in the ribs until she smiles.

"Think I’m more of a Charlotte Brown," Harry drawls.

"Absolutely not. Lottie is nothing like you. You, madam, are a Charlie. There’s women Charlies! No shame in that, Harry."

Harry reaches over to the cart and starts pushing it towards the cashiers. "I reckon we’re done here? You have a lot of explaining, and we’ve got all the time on these lines."

Louse explains everything that happened that night to Harry, who doesn’t fault Louse for any of it. "It does sound like a succubus," Harry concludes at the end of it with a nod.

"Anyway, that’s why I can’t have you there. Zayn’s prone to attack like, everyone I care about. My mum and sisters are safe at home, but you’re here. You’re here with the rest of the… fresh meat that she’s been feeding off of."

Harry shakes her head. "No, see, that’s exactly why I need to be there. I need to protect you when the rest of the school population doesn’t know what’s happening. You can’t do this alone."

"I can’t lose you, Harry," Louse says in a hushed tone. "Do you know that first night, when I couldn’t find Zayn in the chaos as we were forced out of the club, I was already re-planning my wedding? I always assumed she would be there, at my side and then suddenly there was a real possibility that she wouldn’t be. Do you know what that’s like?"

Harry stares at the ground through the metal grid of the shopping cart and nods. "When I got your call the night of the fire I thought it was your mum. I thought like, something bad had happened."

Louse swallows thickly and smiles, tears forming in her eyes. "Christ, I’m sorry about that. You were the only one I could call."

"You keep apologizing but like, it was ages ago. It hurts, but it’s also a memory."

"You’re too good for me, Haz."

"I am. But you’re also the worst. Just… in every way, the worst," Harry says, a smirk crawling across her lips. "So technically, not high accolades for me."

Louse bites her lips to avoid smiling. "Right. Well. Let’s buy these and then decide how we’re gonna win this war."

***

The week passes in a blink. The threat of danger no longer hangs over the school. Louse feels London falling into a false sense of security, even as she and Harry continue to stay alert.

Harry arrives to pick up Louse, and gets stuck taking photos. Pictures that Jay will upload to Facebook without editing out the bad lighting or the hideous stress zit on Harry's face.

"Mum, this isn’t even prom! Like, I’m just dressed like a puppet? Harry’s a bloody skeleton for fuck’s sake." Louse adjusts her bow-tie and goes to get her shoes. "This is quite possibly the least romantic dance, y’know!" Louse echoes from the hallway.

Harry grins at Jay. "Don’t talk like that to your mum, Louse!" Harry shouts after her, and then to Jay, "Thank you for immortalizing these moments. We’re sure to treasure them forever."

Jay smiles and adjusts the settings on her camera. "This lady of yours is a keeper, Louis! Alright, I’m ready to go again. Get your bum back over, we’re doing black and white now!"

Louse clomps out of her room wearing red platform stilettos. "Black and white, mum? Black and white? I’m only wearing three colors—two of these being black and white."

"No, that’s not true, those pants are grey," Jay says, swatting a hand over Louse’s bum. "I know because they’re mine" she tells Harry.

Louse rolls her eyes at Harry. "Help me out here?"

"I’ve got nothing," Harry shrugs. "I’m literally only wearing black and white."

Louse groans. "Right, so you look good in any filter, yeah? Cheers, love. Mum, please!" Louse swats away Jay’s hands fussing with her blazer. "Can we get going? Harry’s very important today and—"

"Only today?" Jay hints. Harry beams.

Louse blinks. "Well, yeah," she continues, not taking the bait. "Because Liam’s… you know. Still recovering and that, so Harry is like, the top. So we best get going? Love you, stay safe, we’ll be back before midnight."

"Uhh," Harry starts but Louse clamps a hand over her mouth and grins at Jay. Harry pulls her hand away. "What I was going to say is that your home is very lovely, and thank you for putting up with this little lady." Harry wraps an arm around Louse and drags her to the door. "I will have your daughter home as soon as I can, with the least amou—uh, without battle, uh, heartbreak?"

Louse rolls her eyes and wriggles out of the hold to walk to the door on her own.

***

Harry opens the passenger side door and Louse beams as she stands almost as tall as Harry with her heels. "You can kiss me properly for once," Louse giggles, before pointing to the stiletto. "Also built-in weapons, yeah?"

Harry kisses Louse timidly, as though she suspects Jay followed them to school. "I don’t—your makeup, my… I didn’t want to ruin it before we got inside."

Louse gingerly touches her face and grins. She’d forgotten that the feeling of caked on gloop wasn’t her regular foundation routine but an elaborate Jigsaw mask she’d seen on Youtube. "Sick! See, now that’s why we’re dating. You remember details like that, yeah?"

Harry reaches into the backseat of her car and pulls out a bat. "I’ve got my weapon out here."

Louse’s shoulders slump and she groans. "Lot of good that’s gonna do way out here, Haz."

"Well, I can’t take it inside with me. Where’s it gonna go? Coat check?" Harry drawls. "If something happens inside we can just go to the gym closet. Liam gave me the keys."

Louse lights up at that. "Sick!" She grabs Harry’s hands. "Are you ready?"

"I think I answered that when I left my house to pick you up at yours," Harry replies.

The ride to the dance is unspectacular, especially since Harry slows down at every movement in her periphery. It takes them three times as long to get to the the car park, and even then Harry drops Louse off first to make sure she gets inside safely before parking in a "well-lit spot" as Louse demanded.

***

It takes Louse ten minutes to realize that Harry’s taking a longer time than she should, considering the size of the dance, and the car park.

She downs her third cup of water and excuses herself from a conversation with one of Liam’s football teammates to go find Harry.

Three steps into the car lot Louse sees Zayn approaching Harry’s car. Louse yells Harry’s name as loud as she can, and starts to sprint. Except Louse forgot how hard it is for tomboys to run in platforms, and she immediately hits the ground. Rolling onto her bum, Louse shucks off her shoes and continues barefoot.

Harry’s too busy digging around in the boot of her car to notice the danger, but she hears the flesh of Louse’s feet smacking against the asphalt. Zayn’s gaping jaw is just out of her line of sight when Louse throws herself at Harry. They both go flying into the car parked alongside Harry’s.

Louse pulls Harry’s head up to check for blood. "I love you," she says before turning to face Zayn. "Leave her alone! If you want me, then you can have me!" Her words echo in the car lot. The chaperone at the door to the gym frowns in their direction, but Louse’s focus is on Zayn.

A car screeches against the pavement as Zayn pushes it out of her way.

"No fucking way," Harry breathes. "Since when does Zayn lift?"

Louse rolls her eyes. "She doesn’t, Harry." Louse turns to Zayn, who’s standing across the parking aisle breathing loudly. "I don’t even know what you’re on about, anymore! I just want my soulmate back."

"Heyyy," Harry whines, pulling Louse back down against the car. "I thought I was your soulmate."

Louse yanks her hand away. "God, Harry, not now. One fight at a time, yeah?" Harry nods and lets her go.

"Do you really not know?" Zayn growls from across the lot. Louse looks over at the gym, but the chaperone has gone back inside. "What they did when you left me?" Zayn goes quiet as she remembers.

For the first time since the concert, Louse sees the Zayn she knew. Louse winces a bit but shakes her head. "I tried to get you out of that van, but you wanted them over me."

Zayn moved her jaw around and it retracts back into her original face. "What they did… Louse, I’m never satisfied. I just eat all the time."

"Is it like you’re that rapper lady?" Harry questions. "Because I saw that vlog of hers…"

Zayn chuckles. "Yeah, same! Just endless pit I am. They wanted me for a sacrifice but they didn’t know, like, what they had to do? It went tits up and it made me into this thing. If I hadn’t got sick all over your floor, Louse…"

Louse’s eyes widen. "Sorry, were you about to _actually_ eat me? Like not—I mean we’d just—I mean, Harry already knows. But we? _Eat me_? I’m your best friend!"

Harry tugs at Louse’s arm again as Zayn’s eyes start to fade into black pools. "Louse, let her go. We’ve got to get out of here. You’re not gon—"

"No, hold on, my best friend just said she was gonna eat me, and mind, not in the fun way? We snogged, Harry!" Louse tugs her hand away from Harry again with a "Let me go, Harry!"

Harry releases Louse and she turns back to Zayn, who’s returned to the gruesome pallor from the night in the kitchen. "Don’t let them do this to you, Louse. I can’t stop myself. It’s too hard," Zayn says, unhinging her jaw again and lurching forward.

The scream that Harry lets out is half terrorizing and half pathetic, like she doesn’t want to be in trouble for the noise of it. But the bat that she whirls around and connects with Zayn, is 100% brutal.

Louse lets out her own scream as Zayn loses consciousness and crumbles to the pavement. Zayn’s body convulses for a second or two before she turns to stare at Louse.

"Oh fuck, Harry, run!" Louse says, tugging Harry from the floor, losing Harry’s flower crown in the rush. "Into the gym, we’ve gotta call the police!"

Harry trails her girlfriend, apologizing to Zayn. "I didn’t mean to hit you so hard! I wanted you to stop hurting us. You’re a good friend, honestly!"

"Are you bloody apologizing?" Louse shouts back at Harry. Louse’s Jigsaw outfit was a poor choice for running for her life, but Harry’s skull makeup wasn’t faring any better. "We’re literally running for our lives and you’re apologizing?! It’s not Zayn anymore, love!" Zayn floats a foot above them, chasing them at an even pace.

Harry lets out an anguished scream and Louse turns to see Harry’s jacket torn, blood dripping from her arm. "She got me," she whispers at Louse before slumping to the floor.

Louse tears her eyes away from Harry, tears blurring her face. "Oh, c’mon, what’s this? How long are you gonna fight me? Take everything away from me? For what? You’re the most fit girl I’ve ever known but all you do is knock me down. When’s it gonna end, yeah? You’re not even human still, honestly?"

"Kiss her," Harry wails on the floor.

Zayn flies higher into the sky, like a hawk ready to attack.

Harry’s wrapped her skull sweater around her arm to stem the blood, but even under her facepaint Louse can see she’s fading fast. "Kiss her?" Louse squeaks. "The one who just did that to you?"

Harry nods. "It’s the only way to save her."

"The only wa—? Harry. Usually I’d say you’re a stand-up woman, my mum’s wrong about you, you’re brilliant. Most of the time. But have you noticed what’s occurring around you?"

Harry scoffs. "You never pay any attention when you need to, Tommo. Kiss her."

"If kissing her," Louse says, pointing up to Zayn, "would have done anything, it’d have done so when we— that night I told you about."

Zayn starts circling Harry and Louse in the air. "Are you Ms. McGonagall now? Gonna change shapes, Zayn?" Louse yells.

"That was a different night. You didn’t know what you had to lose."

Louse shrugs off her blazer and undoes some of her shirt’s buttons. "She’s fucking circling us, I can’t get near her, much less snog her!"

"May I remind you that I’m bleeding? Can you lessen the rudeness, please?" Harry says, huddling up next to a lamp post. "My heart can only take so much."

Louse rolls her eyes and chucks her bow-tie at Harry. "Your heart’s always been bleeding, love," she says, but winks at Harry, whose face lights up.

Zayn swoops down and picks up Louse, who lets out a tiny screech as she’s carried away. It’s not a windy night, but Zayn is barreling through the air so fast Louse’s fringe feels like tiny whips on her face. She manages to pry open her eyes and stare at Zayn. Even with the cold pallid skin and sunken black eyes Louse could remember the little girl that she’d met years ago and taught her how to sing and who Louse taught to dance and who was there for her when her heart was broken and helped her prepare for so many life memories. The same woman she always assumed would be right on her side on her wedding day, when Louse didn’t even have an idea of who she would be marrying.

Unless...

"Fuck it," Louse said, trying to keep her eyes from tearing up at this velocity and emotional state. She unwraps her arms from around Zayn and is delighted when Zayn doesn't let go of her. Louse grabs Zayn’s face and mashes their faces together in a desperate kiss.

The blinding light is unexpected.

Feeling the bed underneath her is even more so.

Waking up in a hospital room is alarming.

Louse groans and looks around the room. From the view outside of the window, she’s in a familiar hospital. It’s the same hospital where Jay had her sisters. Where Liam was during the week after Louse found her at that car crash. And now Jay and Anne are seated on her left side. Harry’s too busy watching the room television to realize Louse has woken. Some voices she can't make out are in the hallway.

"Hey," Jay whispers and Louse grins, then winces. Her face hurts. "Don’t strain, you’ll be on your feet in no time."

Anne laughs besides her. "We both know Louis will be climbing walls well before her stitches are done!"

"Yes, well, if she knows what’s good for her, she’ll stay put for once." Jay glares at Louse, but there’s a teasing tone to her face.

Harry turns around and Louse notices her arm in a sling. "Oh, thank god you’re hurt. I thought it was a dream," Louse blurts.

"Thanks?" Harry frowns and looks down at her arm. "Although I suppose it was partly your fault."

Louse wiggles the rest of her limbs and discovers her right shoulder hurts, her entire right side is sore, and her head is throbbing. "You’re gonna have to explain better than that, cos I literally do not remember anything past Zai—"

"Uh," Harry interrupts. "After you… uh, Zayn. They found you both in the baseball field. Um, it wasn’t… you weren’t… the sand on the field was sort of glass, like it was on fire at some point. But Zayn’s fine. She’s not… you know. She’s in the next room. You saved her."

Louse takes five minutes to scoot herself into a position where she can see Harry without straining her eyes down the bed. "I saved her?"

Trisha appears at the door and waves at them. Louse fakes a smile and gives her a thumbs up, but Anne and Jay quietly excuse themselves from the room to go talk to her.

"Remember how I said you had to kiss her?" Harry says, once the adults are out of the room and earshot. She slides into the seat Jay vacated. "And you did, right?"

Louse frowns, then winces, then nods. "Yeah, but it was sort of a last ditch effort, really, didn’t think it would work. Are you not mad that I did that?"

"I told you to," Harry beams. Her nostrils flare.

Louse giggles. "But why, I told you it happened before, and that was after the incident, and nothing happened then."

"Yeah, because you didn’t realize she was your soulmate yet."

Louse scoffs. "Okay, now you’re taking the piss. Listen, I am with you, I did that as whatever, but you’re who I want."

"It doesn’t matter, though. Remember Sleeping Beauty?"

"Harry, I highly doubt that Zayn turning into whatever the hell she is or was had anything to do with fucking fairy tales as a child."

Harry’s eyes go wide. "It was a curse!" she pleads. "True love’s kiss,"

"Harry, Harry, those were fairy tale—"

"Zayn was sick all over your mother’s kitchen and you think it was just a fluke? After what we went through last night?" Harry’s eyes flicker back and forth, studying Louse’s face.

Louse gulps and avoids Harry’s gaze. "No."

"Alright. What happened was you needed to realize you couldn’t live without her, even more than you already do. I’m just a bystander. I’ve always been. And that’s fine. You belong with Zayn. You saved her."

Louse isn’t sure if Harry means to sound as if she’s breaking up with her, but Louse bursts into tears. The unattractive kind, with hiccups.

Jay runs into the room and shoves Harry, who’s bewildered, out of the room. Louse can hear Harry repeating "I’m sorry" and "I don’t know" as she’s carted away.

Jay comes back to Louse’s bedside and starts caressing her face. "Mum, I’m fine, it’s just a lot to deal with and I can’t be here, but I am and I just want to see Zayn."

"Zayn’s in the next room, love, here," Jay says, pulling out her phone and FaceTimeing Trisha. "Hiya," Jay says when Trish accepts the call. "This one wants to see Zayn."

"Oh, yeah, let me see if she’s up," Trish says, and the video garbles as she walks into Zayn’s room.

Zayn smiles the moment she's given the iPhone. "Vas happenin', Louis?"

"Chilling, bed-style, you? Louse takes the phone from Jay on her end. "You look smaller than I remember."

Zayn chuckles. "Could be worse, heard you're the one who saved me. Reversed that curse they put on me."

"Not hungry anymore? Did they say what they wanted with you?"

Zayn sits up in bed and from the light in her hospital bed Louse sees bruising across her mouth. "Something about a sacrifice to get Vine famous."

"Don't think a band will get far on Vine, honestly. At least you're alright." Louse touches her own face, glancing at her own picture in the corner.

Zayn nods. "Yeah, you look better than I feel! I'll meet you on the outside, we'll go get Nando's."

"Not to make this so serious, so fast, but we're gonna talk about details, yeah?" Louse tries to hide her smile, but she breaks into a grin.

"Yeah. Yeah, You, me, and Harry? I've always liked Harry," Zayn says, grinning to someone in her room.

"Aww, thanks, Zayn!" Harry says, appearing in Zayn's video and hugging her with caution.

Louse grunts. "Alright, enough of that, save some for me."

"Never? I'm actually gonna sweep Harry off her feet right here and you'll never see us again."

Louse goes quiet until the both start laughing. "Oh, ok. Too soon, Zayn!" Louse turns to Jay and smiles. "Here Mum, hang up or go talk to them. I'm going to try to sleep."

Jay ends the call and the laughter on the phone cuts off but is still audible through the thin hospital walls. "Love you darling, get your rest and we'll see you tomorrow."

Jay pulls the privacy curtain around Louse as she walks out of the room.

Louse slides back down the bed into a sleeping position and shuts her eyes.

It's been a long two months, but as long as her future has Zayn in it, everything will be okay.

END


End file.
